Liquid water the essential substances known to support life?

Question

You know how scientists say that life cannot exsist without liquid water? Well is that statement completely true when it may come to life on another planet? How can this statement be true if science hasn't been able to physically take human life to another planet, or observe planets out of our solar system? Wouldn't this rule only apply to life on Earth.

Answer 1

It is entirely possible that there are life forms based on elements other than carbon and life forms that do not need any form of water to survive.

However, since we've never encountered any life forms like that, it would be really hard to look for them. It would be like looking for a needle in a stack of needles.

So we limit our search to the kinds of life that we already understand somewhat, in the hopes that we will easily recognize when we discover a life form. It's not really the best possible way to search, but it's the best way for us at this point in our understanding of the universe and the technology available.

Answer 2

We've been around for what seems like a very long time and we have been trying to 'figure it all out' for probably just as long. When you really look at it, you can only learn based from what you already know.
Years from now they may find out on other planets life can be sustained without liquid water, but for the time being they have no way to test for this and can only come up with a thoery based on what they CAN test for.
Congratulations on realizing scientists are not the be-all and end-all. :-P

Answer 3

We don't know if there is any life on any other planets.

No statement like that is completely true since there is always exceptions that couldn't be considered.

So to the best of our knowledge, Liquid water is essential to life anywhere.

Answer 4

Water has many unique characteristics that make it essential for life on earth as we understand it. Its ability to dissolve many diverse minerals, its polarized molecule, even its crystalline structure that make it less dense as a solid are all factors that have allowed life on earth to evolve in the manner it has. No other naturally occuring substance shows the same broad array of properties.

Similarly, carbon has many unique characteristics, including its ability to form bonds in many different valence configurations, that allow it to be such and ideal basis for organic chemistry.

Carbon-based life and the need for liquid water go hand in hand. Surely it is POSSIBLE that different life forms could evolve based on other chemistries, but it is not very likely.

Answer 5

thats correct. its an assumtion.

life works tremendously well inside water. to watch proteins automatically align in water is an amazing sight and helps support the theory.

BUT, we haven't found life anywhere else besides earth, so the possibilities still exists that water might not be needed. WE just have NO examples of that.

but it seems very unlikely.

Answer 6

Science is usually on the right track, bur , no doubt there can be exceptions to the rule. You question is justified but everything points to the need of water for life, as we know it to exist.

Answer 7

So instead of searching for water you want them to search for Uranium? Or Nitrogen? Of course they're basing the search on what's true for Earth. We have no other viable information regarding life, so we're using what we know. As time goes on, we'll learn more and perhaps tweak what we're looking for.

Answer 8

because water is required for all known living things. also, without water, there would be almost no atmosphere. this would mean a planet would be frozen or extremley hot (depending on it's location).

Answer 9

There is water on other planets, some is polluted with chemicals but never the less its there.

Answer 10

I agree. The standard for all scientific basis is "earthbound" in many ways. We have no idea what is across the universe from our rock.